Commuting

[PJMcK]

For years, I lived in a suburb of New York City and commuted back and forth each day. Since I've always been an independent contractor, this often included weekends. Although it was only about 30 miles, because of the traffic, it would take at least an hour or more each way. Sometimes it was much more.

It didn't matter if I drove or took the train as the time was always nearly the same. Driving was the most comfortable but the biggest time loss because you can't do much when you're stuck in traffic. The train wasn't much better because I had to drive to the station, wait for the train, sit for 25 minutes then change trains for the final 25 minutes into the city. Then I had to walk across town to my office which added more time.

It was all such a waste of time and energy and by the time I'd get to work, I'd feel like I'd worked half the day already.

When I got divorced, I moved into the city and my commute became 25 minutes door to door. At first, I couldn't believe how much extra time I suddenly had!

Because of our health crisis, I'm living at our country house and my commute to my music cabin is 30 seconds! There's no dress code and no time clock. Best of all, there aren't any office politics.

There's also very little work.

[jberryhill]

1. I can't fathom the amount of time I spent doing that

I was just thinking the other day about why I don’t read sci fi novels any more, and realized it’s because I don’t spend two hours a day on a train.

But, yeah, some days, by the time I got to the office I was ready to knock off for the day. Bleah.

[luvs2sing]

2. On a much smaller scale..

My husband commuted by bus from our home in north Columbus to his job downtown. If he got the express bus, it was a 25-minute commute, however, if he missed that bus and had to take a local, it became a 45-minute commute on the city’s busiest bus line. Same thing in the evening. Add a five minute drive to and from the park and ride. He was always stressed and rushed in the morning trying to catch that express bus, and always stressed and exhausted when he got home from both the workday and the usual events on the afternoon bus (drunk and high riders, belligerent riders, medical emergencies).

Now he sleeps a hour later, and his commute is from the kitchen to the den, about three steps. At the end of the day, a few steps from the den to the living room. Everyone is in a better mood, even the dog. And I’m surprised that, with all his instruments in the room with him, he is actually getting a lot of work done.